No More Fun

He lost himself
in a maze of thoughts.
This meeting must not be fun,
but business.

Grass was worn away in front of each trunk,
but grew tall and untrodden in the center.
The sun was slanting in,
so that the shadows were where they ought to be.

Ralph turns to the chief's seat.
Grey trunks rose in front, the beach on both sides, and
the darkness of the island.
He lost himself
in deep waters.

"We need an assembly,
not for fun,
not for making jokes,
not for laughing and falling.
But to put things straight."

"You voted me chief
things are breaking up,
we began well;
we were happy."
Jack stood, scowling in the gloom.

"Fear can't hurt you
more than a dream,
serves you right
if something did get you.
But there is no animal."

Jack was a hunter all right.
No one doubted that.

"He said the beast comes
from the sea."
The last laugh died away.
"If there's a beast,
we'll close in and
beat and beat and beat--!"

"If jack were chief,
we'd be here 'till we died."
"Grown ups won't set fire to the island--"
"They'd build a ship--"
"They wouldn't quarrel--"
"Or break my specs--"
"Or talk about a beast."

The three boys
stood in the darkness,
lost deep in waters.